How many get migraines? How do you treat them?
I get migraines a lot. most of mine are brought on by allergies and sinus or the sun, i also have cluster migraines that last for day, i have been having them for over 20 years. i use to use rx but they were so expensive and i went thru a script so fast (and too early to get another refill) i started using over the counter excedrin migraine. i have to go in a dark room, cover my eyes with cool washcloth and rest after taking meds. the thing to do is to learn to get on top of them b4 they get on top of you, learn what triggers one for you and take your meds immediately and never leave home without them.
Hello Mari,
A large amount of us suffer with migraines which can turn out to be very painful...just keep yourself situated in a dark room and rest until it eases.
I found this information which will help more on prevention besides what members are able to input.
Headache
About 20% of patients with lupus have migraine-like headaches. These headaches are different from “lupus headaches,” which are due to active lupus and require a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) or blood vessel study (MRA or CT-angiogram) for diagnosis. A true lupus headache usually requires corticosteroids for treatment. Non-lupus migraine headaches should be treated with a migraine prevention diet. [A copy of this diet can be found in the article “Migraine Prevention Diet” under this heading.] However, when diet alone becomes insufficient, medications such as nortriptyline can be used to reduce headache frequency and severity.
Terri :)
My neurologist prescribed Topomax 100mg every morning. As long as I can keep insurance I will take it because it has helped tremendously. I was having them practically every day and now very, very rarely. I hope you find something soon that will help you.
Ibuprofen and tylenol, cold damp cloth on my forehead, lessen the sun exposure by closing your blinds or curtains, keep hydrated, relax, no loud noise like the tv or radio, limit your time in the sun, wear sunglasses and sunhat. If it’s sinus congestion I’ll take Sudafed with pseudoephedrine. Phenylephrine is marketed as a substitute for the decongestant pseudoephedrine, but it doesn’t work for me.
Thank you everyone!! I have been having migraines since shortly after my Lupus symptoms started. I had standing orders at the local ER. After my primary doc saw how often I was having them he started me on Topomax. It worked great. A couple years ago he took me off of it due to me having auras before the migraine. They don’t come very often anymore but are horrible when they do. About once a month now. I take excedrin migraine and use tiger balm. Last night when I posted this one hit me so hard.
I've had migraines my entire life, starting as early as I can remember. At a young age, they were triggered by stress or excitement. I would be so excited about going to an amusement park or birthday party and then end up having a migraine and not being able to go. Later, they seemed to be related more to hormones. I would have a migraine the day before my period started every month. I don't really know what triggers them now, it doesn't seem to be anything specific. They are centered in my neck, at the base of my skull and sometimes I wake up with a massive headache and sometimes it builds up over the day and I end up barely making it home from work to climb into bed with a migraine. I use Excedrin and sometimes I also take Ibuprofen along with it. I have tried 3 different prescription migraine medications, but they don't do anything but make me feel sick. They don't even help me sleep it off! I would love to hear of any prescription migraine medications that have worked for others.
It's funny migraines being mentioned so often on the site but years back when i first took ill, i did used to have such severe pain in my head and kept putting it down to my epilepsy and in the end they drove me that soft i used to hit my head up the wall to numb the pain (Sorry to say that but they drove me mad) but no doctor every said they was, instead i was knocked out with an high dosage of valium.
I get migraines. They are treated with Neurontin (gabapentin). It's pretty effective, though I still have some headaches and occasional visual as well as auditory symptoms. Not sure how much of it is related to migraines and how much just to nerve disfunction.
Julia
I get migraines daily. Darkened rooms, meds, cool compresses and rest help some. This is VERY common in Lupus patients. My husband did some research and that is one of the conditions that can qualify a lupus patient for disability. That could help with med costs for the headaches...just a suggestion.
Terri,
I feel so bad that in the beginning of your disease so little was known. I do hope that you are getting some relief now from them. I hate to think of you having to hurt to NOT hurt.
XOXO,
DeAnne
Tez_20 said:
It's funny migraines being mentioned so often on the site but years back when i first took ill, i did used to have such severe pain in my head and kept putting it down to my epilepsy and in the end they drove me that soft i used to hit my head up the wall to numb the pain (Sorry to say that but they drove me mad) but no doctor every said they was, instead i was knocked out with an high dosage of valium.
Hello DeAnne,
Lovely to hear from you my friend and you have made my day being on.
DeAnne alot went wrong when they diagnosed me wrong at 18 and down the line just symptoms after symptoms have progressed but everything in life is meant for a good reason but working the fact out is another thing.
Bless you mate i do love you dearly :) xxx
whathappensinvegas said:
Terri,
I feel so bad that in the beginning of your disease so little was known. I do hope that you are getting some relief now from them. I hate to think of you having to hurt to NOT hurt.
XOXO,
DeAnne
Tez_20 said:It's funny migraines being mentioned so often on the site but years back when i first took ill, i did used to have such severe pain in my head and kept putting it down to my epilepsy and in the end they drove me that soft i used to hit my head up the wall to numb the pain (Sorry to say that but they drove me mad) but no doctor every said they was, instead i was knocked out with an high dosage of valium.
Migraines were my first symptom that I knew something was very wrong. I was extremely ill and really didn't leave my home for about six months. Dark rooms, no noise at all. My poor husband used to have to whisper when he talked. I tried several different meds and finally I tried Maxalt. It is a pill I put under my tongue when I feel a migraine coming. It definitely makes my migraine down a notch or two and I recover much quicker.
Hope you can find something that works for you. Hang in there.
Hello, totally relax!! For me, nothing helps but quite time!!! No noise, noone talking, nothing. I even turn the phone off. My migraines drive me crazie, they make everything hurt ,even when other parts are not. So, I just lay down relax and the next thing I know am waking up hours later, feeling good !! Sometimes we stress , and don’t realize how much we over due ourself. So try to rest more , even if it is for a couple of mins., (maybe hours), just to do nothing helps all the time, smile…Beverly L.